Marrying Up

In this scathingly witty commentary on the perks and pitfalls of love among the British upper class, Holden (Gallery Girl) tells the tale of two childhood adversaries and the vastly different roads they travel in search of true love. Social climber Allison, who now calls herself Alexa, is a college dropout determined to bag a titled husband at any cost. Low-key archeologist Polly meets and falls in love with an appealing veterinary student named Max. After Alexa is outed in the British press as “Heirfix” (“Because you find a title and you stick to it like glue”), she sets her sights on the crown prince of Sedona, a Mediterranean principality abutting Monaco. Trouble is, said crown prince—who has been training to be a veterinarian in Britain—has already fallen hard for Polly, who doesn’t know he’s a prince. After Max’s true identity is revealed, hijinks—including run-ins with whimsically named characters (“Wharte-Hogge,” for starters) and ill-timed snogging in the back of a Land Rover—ensue. Will deceit triumph over true love? Readers will rush through this dishy chick lit tale to find the answer. A Cinderella story for the beach bag. Agent: Deborah Schneider. (Aug.)